Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/11375/9433
Title: | Love and the Knowledge of God in Augustine's De Trinitate |
Authors: | Westerholm, Martin |
Advisor: | Kroeker, Travis P. |
Department: | Religious Studies |
Keywords: | Religion;Religion |
Publication Date: | Aug-2009 |
Abstract: | <p>This thesis offers a close reading of Augustine's <em>De Trinitate </em>that is aimed at addressing the vexed question of the unity of the work. The most influential 20<sup>th</sup> century interpretation of <em>De Trinitate</em> holds that Augustine moves from a theological examination of the nature of the Trinity based on scripture to a philosophical investigation based on the structure of the human mind. This interpretation has led to the misconceptions that Augustine espouses a form of natural theology and separates theological doctrine from the concerns of the practical life. This thesis shows that <em>De Trinitate</em> is unified around the methodological rule that only the mind that loves God is capable of knowing him. This means, first, that Augustine's procedure is improperly characterized as natural theology; and, second, that, in making love a prerequisite for, and means to, knowledge of God, the ethical question of the ordering of love is inseparable from doctrinal concerns. This thesis shows that <em>De Trinitate</em> offers a coherent and compelling moral ontology in which the perceived tensions in Augustine's theology of love can be reconciled.</p> |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11375/9433 |
Identifier: | opendissertations/4557 5575 2048022 |
Appears in Collections: | Open Access Dissertations and Theses |
Files in This Item:
File | Size | Format | |
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fulltext.pdf | 4.96 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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